shrug, I wasn't taking any variables into account because that wasn't my point. I was simply saying that mana to damage ratio, a wizards nuke per mana used is only 3.5% better than a mages.
This argument has been on the top of my mind recently due to raid usage of mod rods. It kills me to see a wizard using mod rods knowing that the mana I spent making them could have been better spent nuking myself than giving the mana to a wizard since the mana used to damage done ration is so tight.
To illustrate that point, here's some more hard numbers.
Mod rod costs 200 mana each. Does 225 damage, gives 150 mana.
So lets say for the sake of arguement a wizard used 3 mod rods to cast 1 ice comet. He takes 675 damage to get 450 mana, 400 of which is spent doing 1120 damage. Yes, I've seen it happen since we now have to trade mod rods directly or drop them on the ground for anyone to pick up.
Ok so the cleric in his group see him take 675 damage and throws a superior heal, 250 mana, for 600 point heal. Then the cleric uses 2 mod rods to get back the mana used on that heal. I know this because I've been feeding said cleric mod rods all night.
So I just spent 1000 of my mana to provide a wizard the mana to do 1120 damage. When I could have just cast 3 lava bolt myself and done up to 2430 damage.
I know you wanna talk about the other variables but what it really comes down to in the end is simple mana efficiency and the difference between a mage and a wizard in pure mana efficiency is very slight. I'm not saying wizards don't have their uses and for quick, fast, burst damage no other class can compare. But over time, the slower but steadier damage done by a mage will win out.
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